In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda – A Story of Survival and Displacement
In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda – A Story of Survival and Displacement
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review
Enaiat's escape from Afghanistan.
A short summary:
In the Sea There Are Crocodiles tells the true story of Enaiatollah Akbari, an Afghan boy forced to flee his home to survive. Through a series of migrations across Iran, Turkey, Greece, and Italy, Enaiat’s journey unfolds quietly and steadily, shaped by loss, kindness, fear, and resilience. Fabio Geda presents Enaiat’s story without embellishment, allowing the stark realities of displacement and survival to speak for themselves.
My favorite quote from the book:
"Yes, I thought, there really are some very strange and very kind people in the world."
Fabio Geda, In the Sea There are Crocodiles
Questions to ponder while reading:
What would you do to save your child?
How can we (as a world) do better for displaced children?
My review:
This book is devastating in its simplicity. Written in a clear, almost conversational style, In the Sea There Are Crocodiles never dramatizes Enaiat’s suffering, and that restraint is what makes it so powerful. The matter-of-fact tone underscores how extraordinary hardship can become normalized when survival is the only goal. It’s an easy read structurally, but an emotionally heavy one, leaving the reader quietly unsettled by how much suffering can exist alongside moments of unexpected human kindness.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
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